The Treaty of Portsmouth, 1905 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Treaty of Portsmouth, 1905 - Case Study Example This paper provides an evaluation of the conflict, negotiation of the treaty as well as an evaluation of the suppositions and empirical evidence as provided by the relevant readings and will offer analysis of underlying dynamics of conflict along with recommendations. The Russo-Japanese War prevailed between 1904 and 1905 and was the initial major military conflict of the 20th century, which developed from the imperial aspirations of Japanese and Russian empires particularly over the territories of Manchuria along with Korea (Woodhouse et al 1-10). The principal fronts of the confrontation were the southern part of Manchuria particularly the regions around Mukden and Liaodong peninsula as well as the sea adjacent to Korea and yellow sea. The Russian realm endeavored to obtain a warm water harbor located in the area of Pacific Ocean for purposes of the navy and commerce since Vladivostok could be used in summer seasons and was dormant on other seasons. Port Arthur on the other hand co uld be used throughout the year. Negotiations between the two ambitious foes had failed right from the conclusion of the initial Sino-Japanese conflict making war inevitable (Wandberge 23). Japan resorted to war in order to become overriding in Korea. Following the failure of talks, Japan attacked the Russians soldiers stationed at Port Arthur, a position located in Liaotung that had been granted to Russian by China via lease; this marked the beginning of the war (Butler 247). It was evident that owing to the fact that the Russians were not well managed, Japan triumphed in numerous battle fronts. The outcomes of the military campaigns were a huge global surprise in the sense that the victory of Japan was unexpected and shifted the power arrangement in East Asia. These outcomes brought Japan to the global stage as a major member of the world community. The course of negotiation at Portsmouth Peace accord has been recognized as a clear epitome of multi-track mediation. Records from th e process had indicated that citizen diplomacy was prevalent at Portsmouth- residents of the area inspired the negotiators to bring peace especially during a number of social events in instances when the process was failing. This has been cited as an important pillar in diplomacy. There are five strategies of negotiations that include contention, yielding, avoidance, problem solving and compromise (Zartman and Rasmussen 4). Contention involves the aspect of obsession with individual goals and less concern for the goals of the other party. Contention leads to confrontation, which involves threats, and restrictions along with hostility. Yielding is a situation where both parties are more concerned with the requirements of the other party and not their own, which creates a situation of pleasing each other and lessening the apprehensions. Avoidance signifies the absence of interest in both parties. Problem solving is a concern for each party’s goals that create an opportunity to generate a solution. Compromise being the ultimate in conciliation is an endeavor that is never arrived with enthusiasm (Dana 63-66). Experts of international relations have often concentrated on power relations among nations as an imperative dynamic in a broad category of state conduct, which comprises of creating alliance and tactical interactions along with negotiations programs. It is evident that that the power equation between Russia and Japan played a

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Example for Free

Analysis on the role of women and men in vanity Essay Victorian era literary has produced many different masterpieces from many different writers who focused mainly on the emergence of interpersonal issues involving love, money and social status, usually backdropped by a historical event with national relevance at the time of the story telling. Vanity Fair is one of these types of this kind of work. And even until today, Vanity Fair is one of the materials referenced by critics during literary analysis involving the role of women in the society, the role of patriarchal influence in the Victorian era social politics and the presentation of different women stereotypes in literature. Vanity Fair is a serialized literary material written by William Makepeace Thackeray, published initially in the pages of Punch Magazine in the United Kingdom, beginning at the start of the year 1847, the final instalment appearing a year later in July. The initial title of this masterpiece was Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero. A popular saying describes vanity as the favorite sin of men and women, a line of thought which will be heavily discussed and supported in this particular paper through the analysis of the presence of vanity and the role of men and women inside the society on the propagation and existence of vanity. Vanity Fair is a very interesting book that attacks personal and societal illnesses that causes the corruption and corrosion from the inside of what was believed to be a socially-shared moral right. The author attacked the issues and the personal and social crises by pointing out the role of individuals as well as the role of the structure of the society that influences the lives of the individuals in the story. â€Å"Almost every sin in Vanity Fair can be traced, beyond personal weakness, to the fundamental laws of money and class The poison in Vanity Fair infects the bottom rungs of the social ladder as well as the top (Dyson, 1973, p. 86). † The role of women in William Thackeray’s â€Å"Vanity Fair† There are many different women found in the novel Vanity Fair. But there are some key female characters that provided significant roles in the story so that the novel can depict the real life situation in the Victorian era and in the process provide whatever moral lesson it can about the aspects of life that it managed to discuss and tackle. The list of key female characters that require scrutiny and analysis is topped by the three women characters that possess any or all of the traits that made them important, like personality, influence, cunning and power: Miss Crawley and the contrasting Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Becky Sharp – In a novel without a hero, Becky Sharp was the heroine, even if for some she is the anti-heroine. Becky was one of the two lead women characters who are central to the story. The two girls are opposites in many different ways, and their lives continue such path, with Becky becoming the most villainous of the two and Amelia Sedley her exact opposite. Indeed, the character of Becky Sharp was the catalyst for social abrasion. Some might feel that Becky represents everything that is morally bad and undesirable in the society inside Vanity Fair. Sharp’s character also reminds the readers that people cannot ignore people like her and the characteristics that she displays, dismissing it as a characteristic that is a mere product of a fictional character. Her character represents a type of individual who is alive in the real world. In some twisted consideration, Becky can be considered as the source of â€Å"life† – if life means the presence of constant conflict and the consistent surfacing of anything unexpected – inside a society because Becky does not let social norms get in the way of what she wants. â€Å"The woman who goes after money and status but finds that they do not satisfy her a woman like Becky Sharp is allowed to be at least morally interesting (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Whether readers admit it or not, Becky’s character is an important pull to the consciousness of the readers; she provides the intrigue and sin that readers on the outside condemn but diligently follows through in the next episodes of the novel. Becky seduces and elicits the feeling of scorn and hate so much that she makes the readers always eager to know what happened to her, largely because real life readers are as vain as her. Becky taunts the devil in the readers, making them think and reconsider the â€Å"what ifs,† the things that Becky is not afraid to do which the readers are having second thoughts of doing. Becky triggers the fantasies. For the women readers, it is the fantasy of being able to pull of seduction and gain worldly possessions, to bed many different men and feel a different kind of power, to be free from the shackles and restraints the patriarchal society placed upon women and to be largely free and unaccountable to anything. For male readers, the fantasy is to be seduced by a Becky Sharp, to be offered body and lustful obedience in exchange for money and power that not every man can have in his lifetime. Becky made the world go around inside Vanity Fair, even if the sad part is that as a whole, she is still a mere part of the patriarchal society that used her as much as she used it to her advantage. â€Å"And what else creates change in Vanity Fair if not Beckys subversive sexual behavior? It is she deprives Amelia of a loving husband well before Thackeray has him killed off on the battlefield at Waterloo (Armstrong, 1990. p. 178). † Amelia Sedley – Amelia contradicts Becky in comparison in many ways. Amelia always opts to live in the past and is tied with the memory of past while Becky is always looking ahead into the future. Amelia is always passive and easily contented, while Becky is always on the move, always hunting or scheming so that she can get what she wants. Amelia is the prototype for the docile and meek domestic housewife, during and after her married life with George, while Becky was â€Å"anything but. † Amelia gives the readers hope that there are still people who walk the straight path of morality, while Becky is jumping up and down, always falling far from where morality wants her to be. Amelia’s role in the novel is more than just as an individual who represents everything that Becky is. Amelia, to some extent, was also the symbol of the ills of the life of being meek and sulky. She is the anatomy of the unknowing victim, the unwitting casualty to the moral massacre that poverty, indebtedness, puritanism and being overly morally upright undertakes in everyday life. She was an angel all right, but Thackeray made sure that even with wings it is easily discernable that Amelia is far from being in heaven largely because of her personality. Amelia, as a character, lived a life that was far from being the ideal married life, and the story was as unkind to her as the critics of the symbolism of woman to which she stood for. â€Å"Late-Victorian women writers contributed to the fight for womens rights by creating representations of women that confronted the self-abnegating, submissive, housebound image of middle-class Ideal Womanhood. This ideal was epitomized at mid-century by William Thackerays Amelia Sedley from Vanity Fair (Mangum, 1999, p. 2). † Becky and Amelia: The analysis and profiling of the real heroine The heroine in the story can either be Becky or Amelia, depending on the reader and the readers perspective and moral standpoint. This is because the identification of the heroine type between the two female characters in the novel speaks a lot about the personal characteristics of the person making the difference between the two. The reader would be placed in a dilemma wherein the reader has to choose which personality she would approve between the polar characteristics of Becky and Amelia. â€Å"Plot in Vanity Fair is primarily the histories of two women: one, the shrewdly competent Rebecca Sharp, consistently exploits the conventions of high society to rise within it; the other, the compassionate but vulnerable Amelia Sedley, is exploited by Rebecca and others in their campaign to achieve social prominence (Lund, 1992, p. 23). † The author was consistent with what critics call as rule in the creation of fictitious married female characters. The story divides the desire for love and for materials goods between two individuals who are vaguely antagonists or protagonists in the story. The clear idea to the readers is the priorities of the women as human characters, looking at them outside the scope of gender. As a human character, Becky was the one who puts material things above all, while the character of Amelia puts love above all providing not just a state of realism but also a sense of balance to the presence of contrasting but significant roles in the novel. With this the reader, male or female, would knowingly or otherwise pick one of the two to become his/her heroine largely on the identification of the same grounds where the character and reader stands. A reader will hardly choose both because like the rule of the fiction writing, the reader will only empathize with the predicament of the character with whom he or she relates the most. â€Å"The rule in fiction is that a female character cannot want both love and luxury. Rare indeed is the novelistic heroine who genuinely loves her husband but who at the same time desires and frankly enjoys the goods that he is able to buy her (Garson, 2007, p. 99). † Thackeray makes it more difficult for the readers to pick which is the heroine between the two opposite characters because an important characteristic of the difference between the two is that the author created characters which are neither white nor black. Becky and Amelia are both neither strictly good nor straight-out bad. The differences of the two candidates for heroine-ism also made implications that altered their state of being good or bad as their state of lives moves forward in the story. There is a sense of goodness in Becky as much as there are some things in Amelia which may merit disapproval from the readers. Because the story is centered on domestic life of couples and the complexity that the society and the personalities of the people in it contribute to the lives of married individuals, the personalities of Beck and Amelia as wives are just as important pieces of consideration as much as their own personal characteristics are in the pursuit of defining who is the more suitable heroine between the two. And like their personalities as single individuals, how they were as wives is just as complicated, Thackeray became consistent with the idea of ending up with having no real defined hero (or heroine for that matter). It forces the reader to take a very good look at real life before finally judging who between Becky and Amelia deserved to be raised in the pedestal as the ideal woman and wife. â€Å"The role she plays perhaps most productively is that of the faithful and charming little wife to Rawdon Crawley. Ironically, as long as she finds it advantageous to play this role, she is a much more effective domestic angel than Amelia Osborne, whose devotion to her husband George is heartfelt but sterile, who maternal affection is positively destructive, and who is quite unable to repay Dobbin for his years of devotion. In contrast to Amelia, Becky brings out the best in her husband, transforming Rawdon from a randy roue to a contented husband and a devoted father (Garson, 2007, p. 99). †

Risk Assessment Case Study

Risk Assessment Case Study C is a 14 year old boy who has a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder and learning disability. C is a very active young boy. His mother is a P.E teacher and has him involved in many outdoor activities. C loves being outdoors and doing practical hands on things such as cooking and outdoor activities. Although C is involved in various activities, these are all organised by his family. Mrs F feels that C constantly seeks reassurance when doing tasks etc. She would like to develop his dependence by involving him in activities which are not organised by the family. Furthermore Mrs F felt concerned that if anything were ever to happen to her or her husband, she would like to know that C has some experience within a different type of home care setting. I completed a UNOCINI assessment on C and a carers assessment on Mrs F. From that I felt that C would benefit from some time spent apart from the family. After completing the carers assessment with Mrs F, I determined that although the mai n reason for the parents was to develop Cs independence now that he is 14, I felt they would also benefit from these few hours of respite. The need for respite was not initially an issue however when I got Mrs F to think about her caring role and the level of caring responsibilities and how this impacted on her socially and emotionally, she acknowledged that yes, these few hours would act as respite for her as she care for C full-time when she comes home from work on weekdays and at the weekends. This option would help to develop his independence and get him more socially integrated in activities not organised by the family. I also identified two other services called Enable and Charis. The family were informed of these services and given the appropriate information. I left this information with the family so that they could make an informed decision. Mr and Mrs F agreed that they would definitely want to consider the option of the respite unit for C to attend for a few hours every week initially, with the view that they may want to increase this at a later date. The purpose of this piece of work is to carry out a risk assessment prior to C commencing the rest bite unit. This will need to consider any risks there are with C, how C may behave, what the triggers etc are and how the staff at O can best deal with these risks. Because there are significant behavioural problems with C, the risks are mainly centred around outdoor safety as he has a significant fear of dogs, his dislike of loud noises and consideration of his speech difficulties which will most likely result in communication difficulties. These factors all present risks to C and this meeting is an opportunity for Cs parents, a staff member from the unit, Cs teacher and I to come together, identify the risks, discuss how they are a risk to C and identify the best ways the staff can manage these risks. Legislation that will guide my practice As a student social worker I have a duty to practice in a professional and legal manner and it is important that I am aware of the legislation related to disability, which provides the mandate for the intervention. The Health and Personal Social Services (NI) Order (1972) sets out the role of social workers in Article 4 as having a duty to promote the well being of all the public. The Chronically Sick Disabled Persons Act 1978 legally obliges Personal Social Services to disseminate information, assess need, collect and maintain confidential information and provide Social Welfare Services to meet the needs of any person defined as chronically sick and/or disabled. Under this piece of legislation disabled people have the right to live in the community and be provided with appropriate support services. Under section one, authorities have a duty to inform themselves of the number and needs of handicapped persons in their areas and a duty to publicise available services. Section 2 lists various services which should be provided to meet the needs of disabled people including; social work support to families, adaptations to the home and including special equipment, holiday arrangements and meals (OliverSapey, 2006). An opportunity for C to develop his independence has been identified as a need for C. I have enquired into the services available and signposted the fam ily to these services. It is now their decision as to whether they want to avail of them or not. The Children (NI) Order 1995 is the main piece of legislation associated with the Childrens Disability Unit. This piece of legislation sets out the powers and duties of the Trust in relation to Children in Need and others. The Trust sets out clear assessment procedures for children in need which take account of any special needs. The order outlines that children with a disability will, in many cases, require continuing services throughout their lives therefore the assessment process needs to take account of any special needs and to take a longer perspective than for other children in need. A holistic assessment is needed to determine what is best needed for that child, taking into account the child and familys strengths, weaknesses and capacities. I have assessed the needs of C and his parents and from that I feel that I strongly feel this service will be of benefit to both C and his parents. Article 17 (c) defines a child in need as a child with a disability; C has a diagnosis of autism and learning disability and therefore is considered a child in need due to this disability. Also I am aware that in accordance with this legislation (Article 17 a b) I have a responsibility to ensure C achieves or maintains a reasonable standard of development or health through the provision of services. I will bear in mind Article 18 which sets out the trusts duty to support children in need. I had a duty to support C by carrying out an assessment of need which will allowed me to determine what type of support C required. Support may be provided in terms of providing services, signposting, referral to other agencies or the worker may provide emotional support, 1 to 1 work, advice, a listening ear etc. In this instance I have provided the appropriate support through signposting the family to two other services for C and I am in the process of providing them with a respite service. Within my work with children I am conscious that the welfare of the child is paramount and that this supersedes all else (Article 3 (1). To ensure I achieve this I have knowledge of and will make reference to The Welfare Checklist Article 3 (3) (Children NI Order 1995) The Disabled Persons Act (NI) 1989 also gives the mandate for the intervention. It gives individuals more control over their lives by providing them with the right to; representation, consultation, assessment, information this I consider to be my role. Carers also have the right to request an assessment and the ability to care is taken into consideration during the assessment process and when decisions are made. The legislation ensures that disabled people have equal opportunities in terms of services amongst other things. I have already completed a carers assessment with Mrs F which indicated that this service would also be of benefit for her as Cs carer. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991) set out for the first time, the rights of the child. Article 2 states, Whereby appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child, parents, legal guardians or family member and under article 6 whereby all children have the right to life and to the greatest possible opportunities to develop fully. It is hoped that through C spending some time away from his family, it will develop his independence. Under article 3, whereby in all actions the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration. In assessing the risks associated with C, we will be able to identify what the risks are, what the level of risk is, are there any triggers, what primary preventative strategies can be used to avoid these behaviors and reactions occurring, what secondary measures should be introduced if the behaviors become apparent, what reactive strategies should be required, specify any unmanaged risks and determine what should be the response following a behavioral incident. The Human Rights Act 1998 brought the European Convention of Human Rights into domestic law. Human rights are universal legal guarantees protecting individuals and groups against actions and omissions that affect their freedom and human dignity (SHSSB, 2004: 42). Every child has rights under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the child 1989. Every child has a right to survival, developmental, protection and participation rights. Article 23 of the UNCRC states that a disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self reliance and facilitate the childs active participation in the community. I am mindful that the Data Protection Act (1998) must be adhered to at all times in order to ensure that information is accessed only by people who have a right to access it. This ensures that service user confidentiality is respected and that relevant and accurate information is stored. This legislation safeguards personal data i.e. personal information that is stored on computer and on relevant manual filing systems under eight principles. Policies and Procedures It is imperative that as an student of the trust I have knowledge of the Trust Policies and Procedures and how they inform my practice. It is important that I inform Mrs F about the complaints procedure and provide a leaflet advising individuals of how to make a complaint and express their views about the Trust services. It is important for the Trust to have feedback from service users as this enables the Trust to change and improve standards of services were appropriate. Furthermore it is important service users are aware of the confidentiality policy. I will explain to Mrs F that the information discussed within the meeting will be kept confidential. Theoretical Considerations Risk became a dominant preoccupation within Western society towards the end of the 20th century, to the point where we are now said to live in a risk society, with an emphasis on uncertainty, individualization and culpability (Beck, 1992). Social workers frequently have to deal with risk. Obvious examples would be when there are concerns about the safety of children. The process of assessing risk highlights the complexity of the social work role. The fact that decisions have to be made seems to require an element of control in peoples lives and this can cause conflict for some workers. The question often arises about the obvious power imbalance between the worker and the service user and issues can surface around care versus control. Burke and Cigno (2000) pose the question as to what degree of vulnerability in children reaches the degree of threshold for intervention, and what should be done to minimize the risks to children. These are difficult issues to reconcile. All parties concerned should be aware that allowing children to take a certain amount of risk is recognition of human beings to fulfill their potential. Denial of risk-taking greatly reduces steps towards independence and decreases quality of life. Trying to balance between parental and organisational protectiveness and acceptance of the childs need to take risks can be a difficult undertaking. There is also the problem of communicating effectively with children their wishes and needs. In the case of children and young people with learning difficulties, professionals are likely to have to learn additional ways of ascertaining the childs wishes and assessing his or her situation. All forms of risk need to be acknowledged in any assessment or evaluation (Trevithick, 2003: 115). A risk assessment is only valid for the situation which it has been carried out in and needs to be an ongoing process as the child develops. It is important to recognize that the situations of children and families are not static they are fluid and changing. Each individual risk has a lifespan and needs to be constantly monitored and reviewed. However, it is important not to give the concept of risk more weight than is needed by becoming too focused on controlling risks. Questions should be asked about whether or not the level of risk is acceptable, sometimes risk is inevitable and to try and control everything a person can or cannot do can be a breach of a persons basic human rights. The Bamfords Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability Equal Lives Group argued how service users want the chance to make their own choices in life and to be supported by the professionals around the m, not simply told what they can and cannot do. Hope and Sparks (2000) suggest that a risk assessment can only identify the problem of harm, assess the impact of it on key individuals, and pose intervention strategies which may diminish the risk or reduce harm. They do not believe that assessments can prevent risk completely. This is something which I would be inclined to agree with. Beckett and Maynard propose that control may be used to protect service users, staff and other members of the community and that by controlling the extent of potential risks that we are ensuring that the best possible care can be delivered. They feel that control used appropriately is not the opposite of care, but on the contrary is an expression of care. We should not fall into the simplistic idea that the use of statutory powers is necessarily oppressive or that working in other ways is necessarily anti-oppressive. There has been a concurrent growing mistrust of professionals in social work and an increased reliance by the profession on complex systems of assessment, monitoring and quality control (Stalker, 2003). Parton (1998) proposes that the blaming society is now more concerned with risk avoidance and defensive practice than with professional expertise and welfare development. However, risk is a normal and often beneficial part of everyday life. While it enables learning and understanding, in the case of potentially destructive consequences it may need to be monitored and restricted. The Southern Health and Social Care Trust (2008), define risk as the chance, great or small, that damage or an adverse outcome of some kind will occur as a result of a particular hazard. It is the threat that an event or some action will adversely affect the Trusts ability to successfully execute its strategies and achieve its objectives. It is a process of continual improvement which requires the identification, assessment, analysis, evaluation, treatment, monitoring and communication of risk. The Southern Trust Risk Management Strategy recognizes the need to reduce and eliminate or reduce all identifiable risk to the lowest practicable level. The trust is committed to achieving this through a holistic approach based on the principle that risk management is everybodys responsibility. There are two important models to consider when assessing risk, that of Brearley and that of Greg Kelly. Brearleys analysis of risk talks about predisposing hazards, which are factors that cannot be changed or are difficult to change before decisions are to be taken. He talks about situational hazards, which are factors specific to the situation that can be changed. Brearley also takes into account the strengths of the situation as factors that decrease the possibility of a poor or loss outcome. This is a positive step which may encourage families if their strengths are acknowledged. The Childrens (NI) Order 1995, promotes the welfare of the child and risk assessment and risk management are now a central part of the social work role and should acknowledged accordingly. Greg Kellys model is designed for use when there are serious concerns for the welfare of the child. It is designed to help clarify the issues in relation to the protection of children, to address key questions in decision making in situations where risk is present, what is the problem and how serious is it? The development of a non-technical language (strengths and weaknesses) has made the model useful in sharing and discussing issues with parents. What is very useful about this model is that it categorises risk. Thus to agree on the degree of risk is to agree on the harm that is more likely (high risk) or less likely (low risk) to occur in the absence of preventative measures. It inevitably involves a degree of predicting future events. Almost by definition taking decisions in situations of risk means taking them not in ideal circumstances and with less knowledge than we feel we need. Despite the dangers, however, childrens circumstances sometimes require that we take decisions base d on our best estimate of the risk of harm to them in a particular situation and at a particular time. The risk assessment pro-forma used at O respite unit is based on Greg Kellys model in that it categorises risk as high, low or medium. High Risk would be recent and regular occurrence of behaviour, for example in the past 3 months. Medium risk would be recent and only occasional occurrence in the past 3 months. Low risk would be seen as having happened in the past but would only have occurred very minimally in the past 3 months. The assessment here is not just the potential of risk of harm to the children, but also the individual measures staff can take to prevent the likelihood of the risk actualizing and any steps that management may need to take. Person centred planning is rooted in the belief that people with disabilities are entitled to the same rights, opportunities and choices as other members of the community. Person centred planning has been around for about twenty-five years and its principles are about sharing power with service users and community inclusion. This way of thinking insists that people with disabilities have the same quality of life and position in society which is equal to people without disabilities. It challenges the idea of grouping people together on the basis that they are perceived as needing the same level of assistance. Person centred planning asks how the client wants to live their life and ways that they think could make this possible and if they require any support with this. Person centred planning has five key features:- The person is at the centre, family members and friends are partners in planning, the plan reflects what is important to the person, their capacities and what support they require, the plan helps build the persons place in the community to welcome them. It is not just about services and reflects what is possible, not just what is available. The plan results in ongoing listening, learning, and further action. Putting the plan into action helps the person to achieve what they want out of life. Person centred planning is about the social worker facilitating the service user to take control of his or her own lives and move forward as much as is possible. Coulshed and Orme (2006) illustrate how it focuses on the individual as unique and special in their own situation. It is important for the social worker to develop a good relationship with the service users for this approach to be successful. It encourages the development of an equal, non-authoritarian relationship where both service user and social worker work together to establish a significant and meaningful relationship.  (Trevithick, 2006: 271) It is important in person-centred planning to work out what is important to the client but also what is important for the client, which can sometimes be difficult. This can even be simple things such as pen pictures which illustrate the things which are of most important to our clients. This can include information such as favourite foods, colours, clothes, possessions, people, activities or place. It is important to remember these principles when I am completing the risk assessment and ensuring that it is a personalised account of this child. Previous knowledge My knowledge of risk assessment is initially very limited. Although I have completed various UNOCINI assessments, and within that you are thinking about risk and identifying potential risks for that child or family if certain support networks or services etc are not put in place, this is not as extensive as this specific risk assessment I am to undertake with C. I read around the topic of risk assessment and took into account the different models, especially the Southern Trusts Risk Management Strategy. I also considered number 4 of NISCC objectives which was to manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, and communities, self and other colleagues. This increased my sense of purpose and direction in which the risk assessment was to take. I have good knowledge around C and the family as I had completed the initial assessment. I have previously met with Cs teacher which gave me an insight into Cs daily routine at school and explained the best way to communicate with C. Further to this I read a completed risk assessment which used the same pro-forma to gain a better understanding of how the information gathered should flow. It is important to have an understanding of what autism is and how it can impact on a person and their family as C has autism. Having shadowed the autism support worker few home visits to see children who have autism, I already had an insight into the importance of the schedule and routine for children who have autism. I had also previously increased my knowledge base by talking to the autism support worker within the team about the disorder and its effects. My first degree in Psychology also looked at autism and its effects on development so I have refreshed my memory and read my notes again. Tuning into my own feelings as a worker I feel a little nervous as I will be facilitating this meeting. I feel nervous about the fact that there will be other professionals such as Cs teacher and the social worker and manager from the respite unit. Furthermore, Mrs F is also a teacher. Considering Mrs Fs profession, she may have standards and I hope I am able to effectively facilitate the meeting in a professional manner which meets her standards. In saying this, I have met with Mrs F on a few occasions and I feel very comfortable with her. I want to be able to facilitate this meeting as effectively as possible in ensuring everyone gets an opportunity to contribute, all opinions are considered, all risks are identified and a plan is set in place which will effectively manage these risks. I feel slightly more confident in that I have met with the social work manager and Cs teacher before and feel I have built up a good rapport with Mrs F. Tuning Cs feelings C is unable to contribute to the meeting due to his learning disability. Tuning into parents feelings This is a new experience for Mrs F as she is Cs main carer and the only time they are ever apart is when C is away at school. She may be feeling anxious about considering the risks there are with C. She is placing a lot of trust in the staff at O in order to be aware of these risks and manage them. However this is an opportunity for Mrs F to inform the staff on how to best, most effectively manage the risks associates with C. In turn this meeting may consequently lessen Mrs Fs anxieties in knowing that we have identifies the relevant risks and we are fully aware of how to most appropriately manage these risks. This will hopefully provide reassurance for Mrs F in knowing that the relevant safeguards will be put in place prior to C commencing the unit. Skills It is important that I am able to analyze the information from the O assessment in order to determine if there are any risks, what they are, how they are currently managed and how they could be best managed by staff members. I have already analyzed what the risks are. I have determined that Cs communication is a risk as there is a risk he may become distressed if the staff at O do not understand him. I thus felt inviting Cs teacher to the meeting was important. I felt this could also act as an information sharing meeting whereby the people that C spends most time with such as his mother and teacher would be able to give input on how best to communicate with C. Cs teacher previously informed me that use of the PECS and super symbols would be essential to apply in order to effectively communicate with C, until such times as the staff familiarise themselves with C. The ability to analyze involves breaking a situation or issue down into its component parts so that the inter-connections a nd patterns can be uncovered (Thompson, 2005). I need to be able to analyze the information gathered to determine what the risks are, to determine the level of risk and determine what safe guards need to be put in place in order to try and reduce these risks. Communication has been defined as, the verbal and non verbal exchange of information, including all the ways in which knowledge is transmitted and received (Barker, 2003: 83). I will be facilitating this meeting and thus I need to communicate in a clear and concise fashion in explaining the purpose of the meeting, what I hope to cover, why and what I hope to achieve. I will explain the relevance of inviting Miss V, Cs teacher and explain how I hope she will be able to contribute to the meeting. This will reassure Miss V of her role, purpose and prepare her for what she may want to say with regard to how the staff can best communicate with C. I will similarly explain the relevance of why Cs parents are there also, in that they know C best as his parents and carers and their input and advice will be most valuable with regards to identifying any additional risks I may have missed, and how to manage these and give any input they wish throughout the meeting. This is also an opportunity fo r Cs parents to ask any additional questions, be reassured that we are aware of the risks involved with their son, the appropriate safeguards will be put in place to try and minimize the risks and what plan they have in place if something does happen to C. Negotiation skills are vital as a result of this Risk Assessment. I have invited the relevant persons to this meeting so important information can be shared with regard to how certain risks can be most effectively managed. Miss V, Cs teacher has a good insight into effective communication exchange techniques which will allow the staff and C to effectively communicate with each other and understand what C is communicating. This is vital in order to prevent C from feeling frustrated if noone understood what he was saying or what he wanted etc. I will be looking upon Mr and Mrs F are experts in their own family lives. Noone will know C better than themselves and thus their input is vital in indentifying any additional risks, how they can best be managed. Before we end the discussion, in order for the risk assessment to be effective I feel it is necessary that everyone negotiates on how the risks can most effectively be managed. Trevithick (2005) proposes that listening provides a creative opportunity to demonstrate our commitment and care. The essence of good listening is learning about how to reach the emotions and thoughts of others; it requires active involvement and engagement with the client. I am confident in my ability to convey that I am valuing Mrs Fs contribution as she is the expert her family life with C and Mrs Vs contribution as Cs teacher. Values I am committed to anti-oppressive practice and Thompsons PCS model of discrimination helps me to be mindful of this. Thompson analyses discrimination in terms of three levels: the personal, which highlights the feelings and attitudes at an individual level; the cultural which refers the social norms, and the structural level which is the way that oppression and discrimination can be institutionalised in society. Biesteck value principles are principles of the social worker-service user relationship which are deemed to be effective forms of practice. The principles are:- individualization, purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, non-judgemental attitude, service user self-determination and confidentiality. I think these value principles have a lot to offer professionals. I think in terms of this risk assessment I will be aware of the importance of individualisation. This is a specific piece of work which directly impact on the care and support that C will receive while he is at O for respite. It is vital that the work is an accurate representation of C and his individual needs. Biestecks value principles are a useful checklist to ensure that we are practicing in an anti-oppressive manner. One of the core values that I believe to be relevant in all of my work is respect for the person I am working with. Valuing Ms F and treating her with dignity is fundamental to a good working relationship. This should be a part of my everyday practice, part of empowerment, participation and choice (Payne, 1998). Thompson acknowledged the importance of respecting persons and not treating them in a way that you would object to if other people treated you like that (Thompson, 2000). In order to build trust and a positive working relationship with Ms F, Rogers (1961) core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard are vital. I need to be able to convey to Mrs F that I understand their situation and their feelings. In order to do this I need to be open and honest and convey warmth and a non-judgmental attitude to Mrs F. If my work is to be effective it needs to be based on partnership. I hope to convey to Mrs F that she will always will be the expert on herself and C and their family situation. Within a social work context, it is the service users who should define their own needs and dictate wherever possible how their needs should be met (Parker Bradley 2003). Useful pointers in developing a relationship based on partnership include: do not do most of the talking, do not put words into peoples mouths, help everyone feel comfortable, particularly Mrs F. Empowerment involves seeking to maximise the power of clients and to give them as much control as possible over their circumstances. It is the opposite of creating dependency and subjecting clients to agency power (Thompson 1993:80). I will be reminding Mrs F of the importance of her contribution in identifying any risks and advising on how she best manages those risks at present as no one knows C better than herself. Hopefully this reassurance will empower Mrs F to contribute as much as possible to the sharing of information.

William Goldman :: essays papers

William Goldman Time comes and goes. We see it as it is and as it has been. To the eyes of William Goldman, time is the spirit and soul. His literature has been all time suspense. I had the privilege of becoming one of his followers in literature. The Marathon Man and Brothers, are two of his best works. At the end of this literature exploration I learned a little more about life. The Marathon Man had a strong meaning; suspense, drama, and action were three of the elements that made this book a best seller. Not falling far behind another of his works, â€Å"Brothers†, is an inspirational story that will break your heart. It’s an interesting page-turner that will teach you a little about life. I will also disclose some of the literary form of each of the books. Brothers, and Marathon Man, each consisted mostly of irony and unexpected situations. Suspense was the key on every page. Something different was always happening; knowing what was going to come next was unexpected. When reading you would anticipate what was going to happen but would find htat the opposite was the outcome. The author, William Goldman, had a way of (something) your brain and convincing you that on the next page you would read what you thought had been foreshadowed.. To your surprise another problem would occur. The next page wasn’t the solution but part of it. The meaning of his books was more than a simple one, it was a small part of William Goldman’s life. Goldman’s life was very interesting. He was 29 when his first son died at the age of three. Goldman was not a man of power and he never held a place in high society. His father was the owner of a small farm in a small town in Ohio. He was a farmer boy without any education when he started to read his first book, A Small World. There is not much information about William Goldman, but the little information there is, is very specific. Goldman’s son, James Goldman, wrote a little about his father and his life in the book, A Small Memorial. Other novels by William Goldman are, The Temple of Gold, Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow, Soldier in the Rain, Boys and Girls Together, No Way to Treat a Lady, The Thing of it is†¦, Father’s Day, and The Princess Bride.

Presidents :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Environmental issues, and policies have recently come to the for-front of American politics in the past four decades. This recent rise in the environment is due in part to the rapid boom in population in the past 40 years. The two major party candidates for the 2000 presidential election have keyed in on certain environmental issues to make strong arguments for the presidency. Gov. George W. Bush, who is the republican presidential candidate, is pretty much anti-environmental, but the rich people love him. Vice President Al Gore, who is the democratic presidential candidate, is in favor of conserving the environment, he also has his devoted group of followers. Their environmental concerns are one of the many reasons that they have our country going in chaotic state of being.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gov. George W. Bush claims to be committed to a new era of environmental protection. Some of his proposals include: The redevelopment of abandoned contaminated industrial facilities, known as â€Å"brownfields.† Directing the EPA to establish high standards for brown field cleanups. These higher standards will provide a lot more flexibility that the current Superfund standards. They will also fully protect human health and the environment. Gov. Bush believes that prosperity is meaningless without a healthy environment. But problems arise when leaders rely on Washington for regulation and dictation for environmental issues from afar. For that reason, as President, Bush will set high standards, and work to build conservation partnerships between the federal government and the state governments, local communities and private landowners to meet and exceed those standards. Another major issue is the Kyoto protocol. Bush believes that the Kyoto Protocol is ineffe ctive, inadequate and unfair to America. The Kyoto Protocol, according to Bush exempts 80 percent of the world, including major population centers like China and India from falling in line. Bush, will also the new Tier II standards that will require lower sulfur, cleaner-burning gasoline and cleaner cars. From Bush’s standpoint the local and state governments best handle land management decisions. The challenges of urban sprawl draw attention to the need to give a new lease of life to our inner cities, through improved public schools, cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields, reduced urban crime rates and creating a strong, healthy economic environment that supports job creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vice President Al Gore has made the environment his signature issue. He has challenged America to make the next ten years the Environmental Decade-making extraordinary progress in cleaning our air, water and soil; cracking down on polluters; developing cleaner sources of energy and curbing the risk of global climate change.

The Supreme Court Essay -- Supreme Court Governmental Congress Essays

The Supreme Court At the apex of our federal court system stands the United States Supreme Court. It stands as the ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation and its decision can be changed only by a constitutional amendment. Two documents are responsible for its creation which is the Constitution, which explicitly creates the Supreme Court, and the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789. The Supreme Court is the only court named in the constitution laying out the Courts basic jurisdiction, identifying the mode of selection and tenure for justices. Under Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that "[t]he judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish." Article III establishes the Court as the chief authority of the judicial branch making it equal to the executive and legislative branches (Lieberman, 2003, p 3). The Judiciary Act of 1789 not only set up the federal court system and used the Court’s jurisdiction under the Constitution as a basis for granting it broad powers that are recognized everywhere. According to Abraham (1983), â€Å"There is no gainsaying the importance and the majesty of the most powerful of courts, not only in the United States, but the entire free world (p. 19).† The French political observer Alexis de Tocqueville noted the uniqueness of the Supreme Courts in the history of nations and jurisprudence. He stated, â€Å"The representative system of government has been adopted in several states of Europe, but I am unaware that any nation of the globe has hitherto organized judicial power in the same manner as the Americans. . . . A more imposing judicial power was never constituted by any people (qtd in Abraham, 1983, p. 27). Issues as the number of justices, their qualifications and their duties have been settled by law and tradition rather than being specified in the Constitution (Baum, 1992, p. 13). The Courts composition was addressed in the Judiciary Act of 1789 under Section 1 stating â€Å"That the Supreme Court of the United States shall consist of a chief justice and five associate justices. . . â€Å". The number of justices changed several times during the Courts first century. A number of changes were to the number of justices after the Judiciary Act of 1789 in part to accommodate the justices’ duties in... ...embers are crucial in affecting the interpretations of the Constitution and important amendments relevant to citizens (Champion, 2003, p. 203). References Abraham, H. (1983). The Judiciary: The Supreme Court in the Governmental Process (6th ed). Newton, MA: Allyn and Bacon Inc. Baum, L. (1992). The Supreme Court. (4th ed). Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Inc. Champion, D. (2003). Administration of Criminal Justice: Structure, Function and Process. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Lieberman, J. Supreme Court of the United States. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2003. Retrieved 22 September from the World Wide Web: http://encarta.msn.com Supreme Court Cases. Retrieved 17 September 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/index.html The History of the Supreme Court. Retrieved 12 September 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supremecourt/supcthist.html Van Dervort, T. (2000). American Law and the Legal System: Equal Justice under the Law. (2nd ed). Albany, NY: West Legal Studies Zalman, M. (2002). Criminal Procedure: Constitution and Society. (3rd ed). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Cover Letter Essay

I would like to apply for the role of Intermediate Support Developer in your organization as the details of the job role and company itself are very appealing to me. I have enclosed my resume for your consideration. I am an enthusiastic and high-achieving IT professional with a Masters of Computer Science. I have exceptional technical and analytical skills, with over 3 years’ experience in providing application support at level 1 and 2 for critical business applications with additional duties of unit and integration testing, technical documentation and prioritising and allocation of user tickets. I possess the ability to take initiative with a positive and friendly attitude. My excellent communication skill helps me understand user’s requirements to provide them with an excellent customer service. Working in a highly dynamic work environment, has given me the sound knowledge of interacting with business users and external stake holders, finding technical solutions, answering questions quickly, and leaving a mark of satisfaction in customer’s mind. You will find me to be positive, ready to learn and hardworking who has ability to multitask and communicate effectively with non-technical users. I believe my attitude, expertise, skills, and excellent time management skills will prove to be an asset to the organization. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.